Reduce your screen’s brightness more effectively with the Screen Filter Android widget than you’d previously done with the default Android options. The brightness reduction is perfect for nighttime viewing, eBook reading, or for just saving battery.

Long-press your Android homescreen to find and create a new Screen Filter widget. When the customization options popup, use the slider to set the desired brightness level. The default, 48.6%, is a nice compromise between functionality and visibility. Use the example text to decide which setting is best for your needs. Additionally, there is an option to toggle the backlighting of soft-keys (menu, home, back, search). Unfortunately, the developer states that this feature doesn’t work for all Android devices (and didn’t consistently work on my Samsung Galaxy S phone).

For those of you who also use the Tasker or Locale Android apps, you’ll be happy to know this widget includes a plugin allowing you to enable brightness configurations based on time, location, etc.

Pros:

Widget access to multiple brightness shade presets

More advanced than stock Android settings adjuster

Plugin for Tasker and Locale Android apps

Option for toggling soft-key backlighting

Areas for improvement:

Make the widget dynamic by enabling brightness adjustments via the homescreen

Conclusion: An Android widget used to quickly enable a brightness shade to your Android device, with more advanced battery and eye saving power than the stock Android brightness settings.